This invention relates to games in which a ball is hit with a bat, racket, paddle, club or other instrument for striking the ball or other spherically shaped object.
More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for practicing hitting a ball or other spherically shaped object with a selected striking instrument.
In a further respect, the invention relates to apparatus of the type described including a pitching machine in which the orientation of the machine is altered when the type of pitch being delivered by the machine is altered.
In another respect, the invention relates to apparatus which includes a pitching machine of the type described and which prevents a batter from ascertaining when the orientation of the pitching machine is altered to alter the type of pitch delivered by the machine.
Pitching machines are well known in the art. In use, a pitching machine is charged with a ball. The machine engages the ball and xe2x80x9cthrowsxe2x80x9d or ejects the ball through the air toward a batter. The batter attempts to hit the ball. One well known pitching machine is the HITTING STREAK(copyright) manufactured by American Training Equipment Co. Of 10 Greg Street, Sparks, Nev. 89431. The various components of pitching machines which are necessary to engage a ball and to propel the ball through the air toward a hitter are well known in the art and are not detailed herein.
Many pitching machines, especially machines designed to throw balls to simulate pitches thrown by major league professional pitchers, can deliver to a batter a ball along a path through the air which simulates at least two different pitches, for example, a fastball and a curve ball. When the kind (or speed) of pitch simulated by a pitching machine is varied, for instance from a fastball to a slider, the orientation of the pitching machine ordinarily is altered. For example, the HITTING STREAK(copyright) machine is placed in one orientation on a fixed tri-pod to deliver a fastball, and is placed in a second orientation of the fixed tri-pod to deliver a curveball or off-speed pitch. Regardless of whether the HITTING STREAK(copyright) is delivering a fastball or offspeed pitch, the position of the fixed tri-pod remains the same, while only the position of the HITTING STREAK(copyright) on the tri-pod is altered. A batter quickly learns from the position and orientation of the HITTING STREAK(copyright) on the tripod to deduce the kind of pitch which will be delivered by the pitching machine. The ability of a hitter to determine the type of pitch being simulated by a pitching machine is in some instances not desirable. It often is preferred that the batter not be able to determine ahead of time the type of pitch delivered by a pitching machine. Even though this problem has long existed, there does not appear to be available any pitching machines which do not, based on the orientation of the machine, indicate the type of pitch being simulated by the machine.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide an improved pitching apparatus which could simulate a variety of different pitches without enabling a batter to determine from the orientation of the machine the kind of pitch being delivered.
It would also be highly desirable to provide an improved pitching machine of the type described which could, when the type of pitch being simulated is known to the batter, deliver in quick succession from the same point multiple throws of the same or multiple type(s) of pitch(es).
Therefore, it is a principal object of the machine to provide an improved apparatus and method for producing and simulating a variety of different pitches utilized in baseball or another sport which utilizes a ball or other spherically shaped object.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus of the type described which prevents a batter from determining from the orientation of the pitching apparatus utilized the kind of pitch being delivered and simulated by the apparatus.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus of the type described which can delivery a sequence of different kinds of pitches to a batter.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus of the type described which can deliver a rapid sequence of pitches each originating and traveling toward a batter from the same delivery point.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus of the type described which can deliver pitches over selected different areas of home plate or other target.